Westerly teacher returns from Fulbright, shares year abroad; new student rep outlines school-year kickoff

Anne Barnhart, a veteran teacher in the Westerly Public Schools, told the School Committee on Sept. 18 that her sabbatical combined three experiences: a Fulbright-Hays trip to Guatemala studying the Kʼicheʼ (Quiché) language and Guatemalan education systems; nine months teaching in Spain through a Spanish public-diplomacy exchange program (identified in the transcript as NELCAP); and coursework toward an ESOL certification to support multilingual learners.

Barnhart said the Guatemala portion included living with families, meeting with the Guatemalan Ministry of Education, and studying indigenous language and recent history to better understand the backgrounds of students who come to Rhode Island. In Spain she said classrooms were more lecture- and test-focused and that her work emphasized integrating group work, technology and project-based units; she described running professional-development sessions with Spanish teachers and arranging exchanges with colleagues from other countries. Barnhart also kept a daily bilingual blog and tutored a newcomer student from China during the summer.

In a separate portion of the meeting, Sarah Arnold, introduced as the new student representative and a senior at Westerly High School, delivered her first student report. Arnold highlighted fall athletics, including a strong start for girls' soccer, activity among more than 20 clubs, and a mentorship program that paired more than 50 upperclassmen with incoming freshmen.

The committee thanked Barnhart for the report and praised Arnold’s presentation. The sabbatical report and student update were presented as information items; no formal committee action was required.